Filling-feeler mechanism.



C. H. DRAPER @L mlm/19,1916.

Patend Dee. fi, 291?.

T all 'whom it may concern:

,ilNlTED STATES CLARE H. DRAPER AND JONAS NORTHROP, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSGNORS.

PAENT @FFT-50E.

TO HQPEDALE MANUFACTURING CQMPANY, 0F MILFORD, MASSACHUSETTS, A COR- PORATION 0F MASSACHUSETTS FILLING-FEELER MECHANISM.

.Application filed May 19, 1916.

Be it known that we, CLARE H. Dnxrnn and JONAS Non'rnnor, citizens of the United States, residingat Hopedale, in the county of' llvorcester and ConnnonWe-alth of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful 4Improvements in Filling-Feeler Mechanisms; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention' such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

' The present invention relates to an im provement in filling feeler mechanisms for looms.

l The object of the invention is to produce a filling feeler mechanism of improved construction such that it will accurately and uniformly determine critical exhaustion of filling, means being provided for positively preventing the mechanism from effecting a change in the operationof the loom. until the filling is critically exhausted. To the accomplishment of this object the invention consists in the improved filling feeler mechanism hereinafter described and particularlyl pointed out in the claims. A

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred form 0f the invention7 Figure 1 is a plan of the improved filling feeler mechanism showing its relation to the shuttle-and filling carrier; Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the parts shown in Fig. 1, ay portion of the breast beam of the loom t0 which the filling feeler mechanism is attached being also shown; and Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

The improved filling feeler mechanism illustrated in the drawings comprises a filling feeling member or filling feelcr which consists of a filling engaging member 10, and a feeler lever 19 upon which the filling en` gaging member is slidingly and yieldingly mounted'. Thelling engaging member is adapted to project vtirough or opening 11 formed in the front Wall of the shuttle 12 to feel for. the filling 13, on

, the filling carrier 14 held` by the shuttle spring 15, on the filling feeling beat of the.

lay 1G. This beat-u of the lay occurs while the shuttle is boxe at,the end of the lay opposite the filling feeler mechanism. The rearmost or filling feeling endof the filling Specification of Letters Patent.

` the usual slotA Patenten nee. a, reir.

Serial No. 98,567.'

engaging member 10 is provided with a piece of felt 17, against which the filling -strikes on the filling feeling bea t. The yveliknown composition of felt is such that'if the filling presses against the felt piece properly, the filling engaging member is prevented from motion relatively thereto; but-when vthe filling is completely exhausted from that part of the filling carrier opposite the filling engaging member and the bare or unwound surface of the filling carrier presses against the felt, a very slight pressure on the filling engaging member in the proper direction will move it relatively to the fillingcarrier.

The filling engaging member 1() is mount i Vend of a feeler slide 21 mounted for reciproeating movements ,toward and from the lay on a slide support 22, of which a depending web 23 is secured to a bracket 24l'fastened .to'the breast beam 25 of the loom. rllie feeler slide and the parts mounted thereon are yieldingly pressed toward the lay, and are normally held in the position shown in Fig. 1, by means ofa comparatively heavy compression spring 27 interposed between a web 28 depending from the forward end of the slide support 22 and the lower portion 29 of the pivot pin 2U. rlfhe spring'27- sur rounds and is held in place by a guide rod 30, the forward end of which is loosely received in a hole in the web 28, the rear end of the rod being adjustably secured in the pivot pin extension 29 by means of a setscrevv 26. The feeler slide 21 is guided in its reciprocatory vmovements toward and from ing interposed between the shoulder 35,

formed at the junction of ythe shank and the titl i ou

head of the filling engaging lmember and the rear side of ears 36 rising from the feeler lever 19. The lhngengaging member is Gli received in guideways or grooves formed on the :-earmost end of thc arm 18, The limit of movement of the fillingengaging member toward the filling carrier is determined by the enga ement of a shoulder 38 formed on the slxanlr of the feeler, with a Cotter pin sed through the upper ends of the I Btl, The filling engaging member 1l) rnd the ft-oler lever 1f) together constitute "lling" reeling member or filling feeler. 4 Gn the Elling feeling beat of the lay the filling` strikes the felt; piece 17 on the filling en; ig'ing member 10 and pushes it forward against the action of the spring 33 until the shuttle spring 15 comes into contact with the rearniost end of a feeler controller 42, of which the forward end is threaded into a boss i3 projecting laterally from the feeler slide 2li The controller fri-2I may be turned boss to adjust the position of its siiiring contacting end relatively to aging end of the filling enb r l0, and when it has been so is secured in adjusted position adjusted it hj-.f means of a ciieclznut 44. As the lay continues its forward movement the pressure of the slnittle spring` 15 upon the controller eti pushes the. feeler slide 21 and the parts cffirried by it forward. So long as filling remains on that part of the filling carrier opposite the filling engaging member 10, the fecler lever 19 and the filling engaging member .10.` that is, tac fillingA feeling memher or filling fecler, cannot move on its pivot relatively to the filling carrier when the feeler slide is moved forward on the filling; feeling beat of the lay; but when the filling on that part of the filling carrier opposite the filling engaging member has becon'ie entirely unwound so as to expose the surface of the filling carrier; and the feeler slide is moved forward, a compresion spring; 416, of which one end is received in a, recess in the foig'ward end of the arm 113 of the fceler lever, and of which the other end is received in a recess in a boss al? projecting laterally from the feeler slide 2l, permitted to turn the filling' feeler about its pivot, thereby causing the rearniost or filling' feeling end thereof to travel longitudinally along the univound surface of the filling carrier toward the carrier butt in engagement with the end winding' of the, lling. This n'ioverlient'of' the feeler termed its filling feeling movement. Not onlyis the spring 4G prevented from turn ingthe. filling onv the filling feeling beat, so long as the felt piece 1i is engaged by filling, but the spring 46 also prevented from turning the filling feeler while the parts of the feeler mechanism arc in noi ina-l position1 because of the overpowering tension of the spring 27. In normally holding the feeler slide toward the lay, the spring 2'? forces a shoulder el() formed on the arm 18 against a stop lug 41 on the slide support, thereby holding` the spring lli compressed and ineffective. ln order to prevent the feeler lever 19 from swinging out of operative position toward the filling ,an rier tip, a stop lug 4S rising,` from the side of the slide support is adapted to be engaged by anactuator 49, which constitutes a forwardly extending arm of the feeler lever.

The' engagement of the felt piece 1T with 'the end winding of the filling prevents furcured a block ln engagement with the block 55, during regular Weavlng, is an arm 56 which is attached to and controls the operation either of devices for stopping the loom or of weft replenishing mechanism. If the filling fcelcr mechanism is applied to a plain loom, an actuation of the arm 5G results inloom stoppage..v If the filling feeler mechanism is applied to a weft replenish-` ing loom, an actuation of the lever 5G results in the insertion of a fresh supply of filling in the shuttle. The arm 5G and its actuating means constitute loom controlling devices'. lNhen the actuator arm 4D of the iecler lever 19 has been swung oppositetlic linger 50 of the slide 51, and the lay continues its :forward movement, the block is forced against the arm 56 and pushes it for 'ardly, thereby causing a change in the operation of the loom. The operative posi tion of the actuator arm 49 relatively to the linger 50 is determined b v a stop lug 58 rlsing from the feeler slide 21.

It vwill be observed from an inspection of Fig'. 1 that the end windings of the filling are built/up on a longtaper, that the end of the felt piece 17 farthest from the butt of the filling carrier is in engagement i ith the filling, and that a space separates Ithe filling from the end of the felt piece nearest the butt of the filling carrier. Now, while the filling remains in this condition, that is, until it is unwound, and it strikes the filling engaging member on the filling feeling beat of the lay, the angular relation between the filling and the felt has a tendency to cause the filling fceler to swing about its pivot when the feeler slide has been pushed forward by the pressure of the sliuttie spring` against the controller 42. Owing to this tendency of the filling feeler to swing aboutits pivot because of the angular relario intensi partsof the loom controlled by the filling feeler mechanism would result. Accordingly, means are provided for preventing this p-emature operation of the loom con-` trolling1 devices. This premature operation preventive means consists of a stop lug or lock 60 which `constitutes the apex of the boss i?. When the tilling, as shown in Fig. l, strikes the lling engaging member on the illin feeling beat of the lay, it pushes the i lling engaging member forwardly so that the forward end of the shank 34C thereof is brought opposite the lock I6() before the shuttle sprin' l5 has contacted with the controller 42. onsequently, when the continued forward movement of the lay and the pressure ot the shuttle spring against the controller pushes the feeler slide forwardly, and thereby relieves the spring v 46 of the overpowering tension of the .spring 27', the lock 6() will revent the spring,r 46 from swinging the filling eeler about its pivot. This locking action continues so long as the angular relation between the lling and the elt piece 17 continues But, when the filling opposite the telt piece has become so 'far exhausted that the shuttle spring" strikes' the contrcl-leratl about the saine time as, or before, the filling strikes the filling engaging member, that is, when the iilling approximates critical exhaustion, the filling engaging member is not pushed forward far enough to bring the forward end of' the shank 34: of the` filling engaging member opposite the lock 60; consequently, at this time the lock does not prevent the spring 46 from swinging the filling feeler about its pivot.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is zl. A loom having, in combination, a lay, a shuttle, and a filling eeler mechanism comprising a slide movable toward and from the lay, a feeler controller fixed thereon adapted to contact with the shuttle springs, a ieeeler lever pivoted on the slide, a filling engaging member yieldingly mounted on the ieeler lever and adapted to cooperate with the iilling, means for turning the lever when the Filling approaches critical exhaustion, and means arranged to coperate with the' filling engaging member for positively preventing the lever .from turning until the filling approaches critical exhaustion.

2. A loom hai" ig, in combination, a lay, a shuttle, a lilling c trier, and a filling feeler mechanism comp-ri. ng a slide movable toward and from the l a feeler lever mounted on the slide, a tihi igaging member mov-ably mounted on tne el lever for cooperation with the filling, means tending to turn the vfeelei: lever, and lock xed on the slide adapted to be engaged by the lilling engaging member to prevent the turning movements of the feeler lever until the tilling approaches critical exhaustion i 3. Af' loom having, in combination, a lay, a shuttle, a filling carrier, and a iilling feeler mechanismV comprising a `slide movable toward and' from the lay, a feeler controller fined on the slide adapted to be engaged by the shuttle springs, a feeler lever pivoted on the slide,4 a .filling engggagiiigy member slidingly mounted on the feeler lever and yieldingly pressed toward the lay and adapted to cooperate with the filling, said lling engaging member being arranged tobe moved relatively to the lever a disu tance at least equal to the depth of the till-y ing on the illing carrier on each lling feeling beat of the lay, means for turning the feeler lever when the filling approximates critical exhaustion, and means 'for preventin,a the turning of the eeler lever until the lling approaches critical exhaustion. v

e. A loom having, in combination, a lay,

y a shuttle, a lling carrier, a lilling eeler mechanism comprising a. slide movable to-y ward and from the lay, aicontroller on the slide adapted to be struck by the shuttle on the filling feeling beat of the lay, and a illing ieeler consistin of a feeler lever pivotally mounted on t e slide and a filling engaging member slidingly mounted on the feeler lever normally extending beyond the controller toward the lay, said filling engagging member being arranged so that it permits the controller. to be struck by the shuttle on each billing feeling beat or the la A loom having,in combination, a lay, a shuttle, a llingcarrier, and a lilling feeler mechanism comprising a slide, a eeler controller ned thereon, a filling feeler consisting of a feeler lever pivoted on the slide, and a iilling engaging member slidingly mounted on the feeler lever, and a lock on the slide for preventing pivotal movement of the filling teeler until the filling approximates critical exhaustion.

6. A loom having, in combination, a lay, a shuttle, a lling carrier, and a lling feeler mechanism comprisinga slide movable to* ward and from the lay, a t'eeler controller fixed thereon adapted to be struck by the lay to 4move' the slide forward, a teeler lever mounted on the slide, means for turning the ieeler lever, a iilling engaging meini ber slidingly mounted on the Steeler lever and adapted to be struck by the illingr can rier, and a -locli on the slide for preventing the 'turning of the lieeler lever after the slide has been moved forward until the lilling approximates critical exhaustion.

l'. i loonihaving, in combination, a lay, a shuttle, a filling carrier, and a filling teeler lill) o. Y 1 ow mechanism comprising a ling eeler adopted to feel of'and determine the amount oi fllingon the filling carrier having' a, filling engagmg end composed of fet.

eee lever and adapted to coperamwwth the illing, means foljurnng the feeler 1e- Vel' wen 'thellng approxmfoes oraical exhoueon, a, feeer contro1l-ew`xed 01o the slide7 and o lock fixed. on the' slide adopt/ed wiso be engaged! by the lling engaging memoe t@ preven pivotal vm'mfen'aen; of the' fedexever lmt the filling oppooeheo .critical exhaustion.

9. A loom havmg, m combmotlon, a lay, f

a shuttle, a illng carrier, and o llng feeler mechanism comprising o slide movable t@ word and from the ley; a controler fixed on the slide adapted to oe struck bythe shuttle springs, a llingeeer pvoced on the slide adapted o cooperate with the lmg, means fol' turning the lling eeer when ghe llng approximates critical exhaustion, and means ixed. on the slide for preventing like turnlg of the Edding feeler unn the Billing op- Woodies critiool exhaustion.

CLARE H. DRAPER. JNS NRTHRUP 

